Mutilated corpses and undead mothers-in-law: vampire epidemics through history

History Extra podcast

Immediate Media

History

4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 21 November 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Fears of the undead rising from their graves to cause trouble have recurred in societies around the globe throughout the centuries. But why was your mother-in-law especially likely to become a vampire? What makes Count Dracula a highly unusual bloodsucker? And how would you best mutilate a vampire's corpse to neutralise their threat? Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Professor John Blair shares stories of vampire 'epidemics' throughout history from his new book Killing the Dead. (Ad) John Blair is the author of Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World (Princeton University Press, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=22479&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fkilling-the-dead%2Fjohn-blair%2F9780691224794&clickref=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This History Extra podcast is sponsored by Help for Heroes. The past is studied with tales of
0:05.5	our armed forces personnel, making huge sacrifices to change the course of history. And that's still the
0:11.2	case today, with thousands of veterans around the UK fighting daily battles, physical, mental, and
0:17.5	financial, that can make life seem overwhelming. That sense of pressure can be all the
0:22.4	more challenging during these winter months, as the nights draw in and our screens are full of
0:26.8	images of family fun and festive cheer. Health for Heroes understands the difficulties people face
0:31.9	when starting a new life after leaving the military. It offers life-changing, tailored support
0:37.2	for those who most need it,
0:39.1	helping them rebuild their lives.
0:41.1	But it needs public support
0:42.5	to continue to deliver its life-changing services.
0:45.7	This Christmas, they're asking us
0:47.3	to show our veterans they're not forgotten
0:48.9	and help the armed forces community
0:50.9	live well after service
0:52.1	by sending a Christmas message
0:53.9	of support and gratitude.
0:56.3	Visit healthforheroes.org.uk to write your Christmas message to our veterans. It only takes a
1:02.2	moment, but will make a world of difference. This History Extra podcast is sponsored by the new global
1:07.8	economic history book, Economica, A Global History of Women,
1:11.6	Wealth and Power by Dr. Victoria Bateman. Humanity's journey from poverty to prosperity is filled
1:17.9	with men who have become household names. But how many female entrepreneurs, merchants and investors
	...

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